Best of 2015, Landscape

Snow and Fog

Low hanging clouds, freshly fallen snow and majestic peaks of Colorado's San Juan Mountains. This is my favorite image from a trip to southwestern Colorado in early October. It is almost monochrome and flies in the face of the fact it was peak Fall color in the area.

Aspen Flame

Aspen showing their Fall colors in the San Juan Mountain of southwestern Colorado.

Roadside Chapel

I got stuck in a couple construction stops during my time south of Ouray on the Million Dollar Highway. I never did make it up to Yankee Boy Basin like I wanted to due to road closures. This photograph was quickly taken on a construction stop where I was in between the stops. I had to take at least one decent shot down the valley and paused to squeeze off a couple frames. The elevated view and bend in the road provided my only opportunity to capture this visual rapture. The people waiting on the other side didn't seem to mind, thankfully. It was hard to be in a hurry. Church was in session.

Fire and Ice

The fall colors and freshly fallen snow was so special. Around every turn of the road was another amazing scene to explore.

Haviland Lake

My camping spot was a short hike to the edge of this beautiful mountain lake between Siverton and Ouray, Colorado. I couldn't have timed this any better as cloudy skies would dump snow on me during my brief visit.

Black Stripe

Snow was still clinging to the trees on the north side of this slope while the clouds continued to hang low over the mountains. The side canyon I stopped at was a perfect vantage point to shoot back across the valley at all this monochrome goodness. The only part of this image that appears to be in color is the right-hand corner.

Springtime Palo Verde Over Bartlett Lake

A palo verde tree blooms overlooking Bartlett Lake near Phoenix, Arizona.

Sunnyslope Supermoon Sunset

A nice sunset before the big event. The supermoon eclipse on September 27, 2015.

Lunar Eclipse

The moon hangs over the Phoenix Mountains during its eclipse.

Milky Way over the Mogollon Rim

A shooting star adds to an already dramatic scene north of Payson, AZ on the Mogollon Rim. I still have a ways to go on this type of shoot, but look forward to more opportunities to improve.

Lockett Meadow Gloom

Another view of the this favortie location on a gloomy day. The reeds have done well this year and are as large as ever. I will have to try photographing the multitude of insect buzzing around this tank someday.

Smoke Signals

A curious cloud hovers over one of the ancient dwellings in Wupatki National Monument.

Mogollom Rim Morning

Venus's veil ushers in the end of the night and beginning of the day with our Star yet to rise over the horizon.

Black River Forest Fog

Another big trip this year was the one to the White Mountains in eastern Arizona. I had been in the area before, but not precisely to the East Fork of the Black River which I found to be totally mesmerizing. Weather is always a major ingredient in my photos and this trip was practically the Zenith. The monsoon was in full progress each day with buckets of rain and lovely clouds to be had. It was truly awesome.

Big Lake

Lichen covered rocks and stormy skies over Big Lake in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona.

Green on Black

Sedges along the banks of the East Fork of the Black River in eastern Arizona were a beautiful complement to the silky flow of the water.

Pine Sky

Morning light illuminates the clouds behind Ponderosa Pine trees on the East Fork of the Black River.

Fog at Sunrise on the East Fork of the Black River

This is the best image of the trip. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning with some lingering fog. I'd taken advantage of the conditions all morning only to find this stunner at the end of my shoot before the days rain started.

Black River Sunrise

Monsoon clouds prepare for the day with a stunning start in the White Mountains.

Black Rain

It rained like crazy one afternoon while I was in camp near the Black River. The sun poked out and created this sun shower like I'd never seen before. I broke out my point-and-shoot camera while my big Nikon DSLRs were high and dry in my bag. I almost always carry this small camera with me now and find it will work best in some situations my larger camera bodies won't.

Brittlebush Sunset

Blooming brittlebush near Roosevelt Lake and the Tonto Basin. It was a quick trip to the A-Cross road and a nice night of camping in the late spring.

Family Matters

A very dense stand of saguaros of all ages overlooks Roosevelt Lake. The bridge on Hwy 188 is also seen in the top right.

Fiery Sunset in the Slope

A fiery sunset in late December.

Totems

A panoramic view of the iconic Totem and Yei Bi Chei at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. This was the last of my big trips in 2015. I only had a few hours in the park and I made the best of it.

Monument Valley Sunset

I was ready for an OMG sunset, but got this cute little one instead. Not too shabby, but it could have been so much more... just the type of experience that makes a photographer want to return and throw the dice again.